ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) – An Arlington officer has been cast into the spotlight after coming to the aid of a pit bull deemed “aggressive” and “vicious” by residents.

Arlington Police Sergeant Gary Carter, responding to an unrelated alarm, was notified of a “pit bull” following and chasing neighbors around.

“This dog is so vicious, please get him,” said one resident.

But after Sgt. Carter and Patrol Officer Heather Gibson observed the dog’s behavior, they determined that something else was wrong. In reality, the dog was just thirsty and lost.

The two officers coaxed the animal into their patrol car with a protein bar as they attempted to locate the owner.

“This is exactly the type of compassion we love to see our employees exhibit and credit their good judgment and our significant investment that our organization has made in providing training to officers on how to deal with dogs,” said Arlington Police Chief Will D. Johnson.

(Photo: Arlington PD)

The department recently instituted mandatory training for officers. The goal of the training was to “bolster our existing training protocols and assist officers in identifying the differences between aggressive and non-aggressive dogs,” according to police.

Since photos surfaced yesterday on Facebook, responses have come in from around the world. In less than 24 hours, the post has reached over 2 million people and has collected almost 40,000 likes and generated over 4,000 comments.